Annunciator



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet i.

P. A. JENNINGS.

ANNUNGIATOR Patented May 28, 1895.

X- Z RR 775227 Bulb: ZI'N INVENTOR ATTORNEYS WITNESSES:

(Nb Model.) '4 s Sheets-Sheet 2. P. A. JENNINGS. ANNUNGIATOR;

No. 539,870. Patented May 28, 1895.

INVENTOR WITNESSES; QK H-JAAim v BY jf/ny ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) a sheets -sheet 3.

' F. A. JENNINGS.

ANNUNGIATOR.-

No. 539,870. Patented May 28, 1895.

INVENTOR ATTORN EYS.

UNrTED STATE P TENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN A. JENNINGS, OF ITHACA, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR TO THE ELEC- TRIO BULLETON COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ANNUNCIATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,870, dated May 28, 1895. I

Application filed March 1893- Serial No. 467,253. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN A. JENNINGS, of Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Train-Annunciators,

of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in train annunciators.

My object is to produce an improved combination advertising, train bulletin, train indicating and trainannunciating board, comprising a battery, an electro-magnet connected thereto, an intermediate circuit maker and breaker, a motor operatively regulated by the connection of its escapement to the armature of the electro magnet, a pointer operated intermittently by the motor, a trainbulletin dial, and a train indicating and an- .nunciatin g cylinder intermittently rotated by the motor; the Whole-mechanism being set in motion by the making of an electric circuit, and stopped by the breaking thereof.

My invention consists in the several novel features of construction and operation hereinafter described and which are specifically set forth in the claims hereunto annexed. It is constructed as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation of the board complete, showing the advertising-spaces, the dial, the pointer, and part of the train-indicating cylinder through the dial-plate. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the operating mechanism with dial-plate removed, showing the battery, the circuitmaker and breaker, the

. electromagnet, the motor and thetrain-in'dieating cylinder, and the wiring and other connecting mechanisms. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the circuit-breaker. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the train-indicating cylinder and the mechanism whereby it is intermittently rotated. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the motorescapement detached. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the electromagnet, its armature, its

connections to the. scape wheel, the main shaft, the scape-wheel and cam thereon, the lever engaging with the cam, and the liftingrod connected to the lever to intermittently rotate the train-indicating cylinder.

A, is the box or case, inclosing or containing the operating mechanismsfits front being normally closed by the dial-plate '-a, pro-.

vided with a slot-way a-and with the 5 5 train bulletin-tables bb arranged thereon substantially as shown, on lines radial to its center, or more or less diverging from radial lines. Around this case,upon asuitable board or boards, the advertising spaces --care arranged or grouped in any manner desired, or most effective for the display of the advertising matter. Within said case a bat tery dis placed, and an electro magnet e is mounted having an armature e hinged at one end to the frame of said magnet; and hh' are the connecting Wires, one leading direct from the magnet tothe battery and the other leading from the battery to the circuit maker and breaker -lo,

able disk lc broken away on one side, as

a breaker, and a spring finger lc" mounted in the binding post to which the wire on that side is connected, so that when, by the rotation of the disk, it comes into contact with the said finger, the circuit is made and continues so long as such contact continues.

B, is the motor shown, for illustration, as comprising an ordinary spring-actuated clock work, having a scape-wheel 'nand the ordinary escapement-pawl n having the end pallets -n"- secured upon a vertical rod p which is secured to the escapement rod-T the other end of which is connected to the armature e', so that the clock-work motor is intermittently operated whenever a 0 circuit is made, and the armature makes contact with the poles of said magnet.

D, is the train indicating cylinder mounted upon a shaft journaled in end bearings in'uprights, as shown, and carrying upon its pe- 5 riphery a strip of paper suitably inscribed with the numbers of the trains and the direction of their travel. Upon this shaft the spaced ratchet wheel s is secured. The

counter-balance s'is loose upon said shaft and its outer end is connected to the lifting rod t-; and tis a lifting pawl pivoted upon the counter-balance and engaging with a lip uupon the stop-pawl u which engages with the ratchet wheel; and o is a push pawl normally in engagement with said ratchet wheel, and also connected to and adapted to be lifted from one tooth to another by the rod't, and also adapted, when raised, to engage with and raise thestop-pall u out of engagement, and then when said rod is released the specific gravity of the parts above the push pawl 'v is sufficient to rotate the cylinder the distance of one ratchet tooth.

The rod t is connected to the lever x' with which the cam xon-the shaft wengages so that the rotation of said shaft and cam each time a circuit is made and the armature is vibrated rocks the escapement pawl and releases the scape-wheel from one point, permitting it to rotate the distance of a tooth and then when the circuit is broken, and the spring throws the arma ture away from the electro-magnet, the reverse rock of said pawl will throw the pawl into engagement with the scape and lock it until a circuit is again made; so that each time a circuit is made, the motor is released,

the cam and its shaft partly rotated, the pointer moved one space on the dial, the rod -t lifted a short distance, slightly moving the push pawl 1) toward the stop-pawl -u. WVhen by this step-by-s'tep movement the pointer has reached the last step, the cam has nearly rotated, and the next time a circuit is made and the pointer finishes its circle, the cam is also fully rotated, and then the pawl-v having been lifted into engagement with the next tooth of the space wheel and with the pawl u and raised that out of engagement with the space wheel, and the lever m' being released from the cam, then the gravity of said lever, the rod t and the pawls, rotates the cylinder one space and exposes the number or designation of the next train.

The whole is so arranged that each time a circuit is made and broken,tthe pointer is advanced one space, its normal position being at, On time, and when the cylinder indicates train No. 5: West each making of a circuit advances the pointer aspace, until the pointer will travel clear around to the starting point, before the cylinder will be actuated to indicate another train. The binding posts m are also provided so that the wires leading to another annunciator or to a series of them erected in difierent places in a city or town, can be connected thereto so that all will be connected to the primary one located at the depot, so that as the one at the depot is operated, so all .of the others will be operated simultaneously so as toindicate the same information.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an annunciator, the combination with the rotatable train-designating cylinder and I the ratchet secured thereto, of a push-pawl en gaging therewith, a vertically reciprocating rod connected to said pawl, a lever connected to said rod, a cam engaging with said lever to lift it and said rod and pawl, and release them when raised, and means to rotate said cam.

2.' In an annunciator, the combination with the rotatable train-designating cylinder, provided with a ratchet on one end, of a stoppawl engaging with said ratchet, a push-pawl engaging with said ratchet and adapted to intermittently lift said stop-pawl out of its engagement, a rod connected to said push-pawl, a lever connected to said rod, a cam adapted to-be rotated in engagement with said lever, to lift it, and to releaseit, to rotate said cylinder a step and a motor actuating said cam.

3. In an annunciator, a stationary dial provided with a series of notices indicative of the time status of a train, a rotating shaft, a pointer thereon, a scape-wheel upon said shaft actuated'bya clock movement, an escapement pawl, a rod connecting it to an armature, an armature, an electro-magnet,-and means to make and break a circuit therewith, in combination with a cam rotated by the'scape-wheel shaft, a lever reciprocated by said ca'm, a rod connected to said lever, a push pawl connected to said rod, a train-designating cylinder, and a ratchet thereon with which said pawl engages.

4. In an annunciator, a rotatable train dessaid lever to lift it and said rod and pawl, and

release them when raised, and means to rotate said cam,in combination with a stationary series of notices indicative of the time-status of a train, an electrically controlled indicator adapted to be shifted from one notice to another, an inclosing case and an aperture therein for exposing the train-titles successively.

5. In an annunciator system, a series of annunciators, each consisting of a rotatable train-designating cylinder, a ratchet secured thereto, a push-pawl engaging therewith, a Vertically reciprocating rod connected'to said pawl, a lever connected to said rod,a cam engaging with said lever to lift it and said rod and pawl'and release them when raised, and means to rotate said cam, a stationary series of notices indicative of the time-status of a train, an electrically controlled indicator adapted to be shifted from one notice to another, and means for exposing thetraim titles singly, in combination with a single line of working circuit to which said annun' ciators are connected and by which all are simultaneously operated to indicate the timestatus of any train.

6. An annunciator comprising a case, a retatable train-designating cylinder, a ratchet and pawl mechanism 'for rotating it and a cam actuating said mechanism, in combination with a dial provided with a series of no tices indicative of the time status of a train, a pointer upon a rotating shaft, a motor connected to said shaft and actuating said cam and adapted to shift said pointer from one notice to another by the making and breaking of an electric circuit, and an aperture in said dial exposing a train title on said cylinder.

7. An annunciator, comprising a case, a rotatable train-designating cylinder therein, a ratchet and pawl mechanism for rotating it and a cam actuating said mechanism,in combination with a dial provided with a series of notices indicative of the time-status of a train, a pointer upon a rotating shaft, an

, electro-magnet, an armature therefor, an escapement intermittently released by said armature when a circuit is made,a motor adapted to intermittently rotate said pointershaft when so released, and an aperture in said case exposing the train-title on said cylinder.

8. An annunciator system, consisting of a by the making and breaking ofan electric circuit, and an aperture in said dial exposing a train-title on said cylinder, in combination with a single line of working circuit to which said annunciators are connected, and by which all are simultaneously operated to indicat the time-status of any train.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of March, 1893.

FRANKLIN A. JENNINGS.

In presence of G. W. SMITH, HOWARD P. DENISON. 

